"History teaches everything, including the future." — Alphonse de Lamartine

We agree. That's why we have a wide selection of social studies and history courses at DDHS. Students are required to take three credits in social studies to graduate including: 

• World Geography (one credit)
• United States History (one credit)
• European History to 1500, or Modern European History to Present (1/2 credit) or Advanced Placement European History (1 credit) or World Events (1/2 credit)
• American Political Systems (1/2 credit) or Advanced Placement Government and Politics (1 credit)

Additional courses under the social studies department are also taught, including Economics, Sociology, Current Events, Psychology and others. In addition to the two Advanced Placement courses listed above, students can also earn college credit by taking AP Psychology and AP U.S. History.

All of our courses in social studies will challenge students to think critically about the past, present and future and understand what makes society work.

Social Studies Courses

World Geography
Students will learn to identify basic geographic elements and apply this knowledge to the study of different world regions. Students will use the five themes of geography to analyze the impact of geography on the economy, political, and cultural world regions.

United States History
Students will learn about the U.S. growth and conflict from its European beginnings through current domestic and foreign affairs. Units include basic geography, the colonial era, the American revolution, foundations of our early national growth, sectionalism and civil war, industrialism, World War I, Great Depression, World War II, domestic issues 1945-90 and foreign affairs 1945-2000.

European History to 1500
Students will be challenged to discover the foundations of Western Civilizations. Units of study will include Greek/Roman Civilizations, rise of nation states, and the impact of religion on society.

Modern European History 1500 to Present
Students will explore the development of European society and investigate and analyze the effect European expansion had on the world. Units will include the age of exploration, world colonization, industrialization, development of modern European ideology, and global conflict.

American Political Systems
Students will acquire knowledge of the interrelationship and the functions of local, state, and national government.

This course will emphasize the structure and operation of our national, state, and local governments. The federal bureaucracy and the role of special interest groups will be analyzed to determine their role in the way our system works. There will also be units in which the rights and responsibilities of the citizen in a democracy will be studied.

American Diversity
The purpose of this course is to better understand oneself and recognize how feelings, ideas, and beliefs interact with the ideas and beliefs of other individuals and groups.The course will examine the many aspects of American society including, but not limited to culture, ethnicity, race, religion, and gender issues. The exploration of the interrelationship of these issues will help create a more accurate picture of modern America.

Economics
Students will be able to describe the mixed economy, identify economic goals and problems, and identify the roles played in the American economic system.The course is organized to improve the students’ understanding of the economic process as it affects their daily lives. Units of study are: the laws of supply and demand, the corporate structure, the economic cycles, different business forms and the effects of size, the consumer in our economy, labor’s contribution and public investment in the market place. We explore at the broad scope of government, business, labor and consumer interaction in the market economy.

20th Century World History
Students will acquire knowledge and understanding of local, national, and international events in today’s world as well as the background information that lead to these events.  This course will analyze major events in 20^th Century World History including World Wars I and II, The Cold War, Middle Eastern conflict, revolutions of the 20^th century as well as current events.  

Sociology
This course provides an introduction to the basic principles and theories of sociology and their relationship to groups in societies of our world. Students will examine theories related to sociology, sociological research, social structures, societies of the world, deviance, social inequality, social institutions, and social change.

Psychology
The purpose of this course is to Introduce and explore the basic principles and theories of psychology.

Units will include history/research in psychology, brain structure/function, sensation/perception, memory, motivation/emotion, learning, cognition, language, intelligence, individual differences, social/cultural behavior, personality, personality assessment, psychological disorders, treatment of psychological disorders, states of consciousness, sleep/dreams, and developmental psychology.

Advanced Placement Government and Politics
Students will acquire an analytical perspective on government and politics in the United States. This course includes both the study of general concepts used to interpret United States politics and the analysis of specific examples. It also requires familiarity with the various institutions, groups, beliefs, and ideas that constituteUnited States politics. This course has been designed to help students successfully complete the National College Board Advanced Placement Government and Politics exam (administered in May) which may allow students to earn college credit. Students signing up for an Advanced Placement course will be expected to take the AP Exam in May.

Advanced Placement European History
The students will analyze basic themes of Modern European Society including intellectual, cultural, political, diplomatic, social and economic history. The AP outline will be used as a guide for the course. Units deal with the philosophy and the growth of religious, political, economic, and social institutions in European society. Students are expected to take the Advanced Placement exam in May.

Advanced Placement United States History
This course emphasizes analytical skills, critical thinking, reading, and writing when dealing with the factual knowledge necessary to critically analyze the issues within U.S. History.The A.P outline will be used as a guide for the course. Units include Colonial History, the Revolution and Early Republic, Nationalism and Sectionalism, Civil War and Reconstruction, Growth of Industrialization and Urbanization, World War I and America’s emergence as a world power, Depression and New Deal, World War II, Cold War America, and the Modern U.S. This course is designed to facilitate successful completion of the A.P.U.S. History exam in the spring for potential earning of college credit. Students signing up for an Advanced Placement course will be expected to take the AP Exam in May.

Advanced Placement Psychology
AP Psychology provides a college level introduction to psychology at the secondary level. This course stresses critical thinking, reading, and writing within the context of scientific methodology and questioning. Students are introduced to the major topical areas of psychology by studying core concepts and theories and by learning the basic skills of psychological research. This course has been designed to help students successfully complete the National College Board Advanced Placement Psychology exam, administered in May, which may allow students to earn college credit. The course outline complied by the College Board will be used as a guide for the units taught in class. This course will examine research methods, human psychological and biological development, sensation/perception, states of consciousness, learning, memory, thinking and language, intelligence, motivation, emotion, developmental psychology, personality, abnormal psychology, treatment of psychological disorders, stress, and social psychology. Students signing up for an Advanced Placement course will be expected to take the AP Exam in May.

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